Health Insurance Asshattery
- Image by Steve Rhodes via Flickr
Warning: The following post contains some adult language.
I’ve been in a bit of an ill-tempered mood this week, so I decided to put this post on the back burner overnight and come back to it to make sure it wasn’t too ranty. But no, after reading it this morning, I think it entails the proper amount of rant for the situation. I’m pissed off. Thoroughly, and with full justification.
Here’s the situation. I have health insurance. I only went without for a couple of years while I was unemployed. I started out with really good health insurance, actually, but the company (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia) raised my monthly premiums by an average of $50 on an annual basis. I tolerated it for the first few years, but over the last few the increases have been beyond what my budget can handle, and I’ve had to downgrade to a higher deductible, lower benefit plan. Even so, I stayed under the same carrier and even the same member group.
This year they increased my premiums by $60 in March. Today I got a notice that they will be increasing my monthly premium again by $60 in July.
That’s a healthcare premium increase of $120.00/month over the course of less than six months, bringing my premium up to what amounts to a week and a half’s pay.
Now . . . keep in mind that I am in what is probably the best health of my life, where I am neither starving myself as I did in high school or eating mounds and mounds of junk food as I did in college. I eat healthy. I do an hour of high intensity exercise every day. I haven’t been to the doctor in years except for my annual physical, which I get at a sliding fee clinic and pay for out of pocket, because over the last couple of years I’ve been forced to raise my deductible to the point where that is the only way I can afford to go.
The only thing that I have ever used my health insurance to pay for since I have had it was an eye exam and a pair of glasses.
I just did the calculations , and this means that I have paid approximately (and this is on the low end) $12,000.00 in premiums for . . . a pair of glasses.
But BCBS feels justified in raising my premium by almost $120/month over the course of less than six months.
Yeeeeah. I’m tempted to drop my insurance entirely and wait out the five years until the new healthcare regulations go into effect, but at the same time I’m terrified that in the backlash will result in a Republican Congress that will repeal and destroy the one hope I’ve had in years for decent healthcare. The free market system for healthcare doesn’t work. I have health insurance, yes . . . but I still can’t afford to go to the doctor. True, I need it little now, but if I did need it, or goddess forbid, I had an accident of some sort and had to go to the hospital, I would be bankrupt.
Right now I’m looking into the healthcare savings plans offered through my bank, as that may be the best option for me right now. I’ve tried free market health insurance, and all it ever did was screw me up the ass. It’s little more than protection money. I pay through the nose for no benefit whatsoever. It’s time to look into other options. And I think I’ll be writing to the state insurance commissioner. A $120 increase in monthly premiums in such a short time has to raise some red flags somewhere.
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It is only going to get worse before it gets better, sadly. With the healthcare bill on the horizon the insurance companies are going to tighten the screws as much as they can before any sort of reform comes. I do think that calling it protection money is a disservice to protection rackets everywhere, because at least with them when you pay you are at least getting some sort of protection, even if it is from the very people you’re paying the money to. When it comes to the insurance companies you pay them the money, and then when you actually need what you’ve been paying them for they drop your coverage and leave you with nothing. Less than nothing, really, because you are still out the money you have been paying to them for years.
Asshattery?….you were nice LOL. I’m on a rant today myself. Just got the dreaded “insurance premiums are goin up” letter in the mail today. I guess I should be thankful it’s only 17% this year and not the 19% increase we got last year. Thank you UHC/Golden Rule!!!
So now we will be paying $600/month for 3 people, who like you, basically never use our medical insurance. We have a $10,000 deductible and no prescription or dental coverage. It just burns me up.
I was in an ER with a friend recently and we listened as a young, loud-mouthy, 20ish african-american girl was raising hell in the waiting room because she was having to wait so long to be seen….just like the rest of the people waiting for what seemed like forever. This chick’s insurance coverage was the government provided “free” coverage (my friend was in the booth next to her while checking in & providing personal info to the hospital….that’s how I know that). The young lady was in the ER because she’d gotten into a fight and thought she might need stitches in her head wound.
I’m not a racist by no means…..it just pisses me off that a person like that was receiving free medical care, because she was in a damn fight, while the rest of us with unexpected, not brought upon ourselves, medical issues are paying through the nose for medical care.
I have frequented your blog before. The more I take in, the more I keep coming back!
Asshattery?….you were nice LOL. I’m on a rant today myself. Just got the dreaded “insurance premiums are goin up” letter in the mail today. I guess I should be thankful it’s only 17% this year and not the 19% increase we got last year. Thank you UHC/Golden Rule!!!
So now we will be paying $600/month for 3 people, who like you, basically never use our medical insurance. We have a $10,000 deductible and no prescription or dental coverage. It just burns me up.
I was in an ER with a friend recently and we listened as a young, loud-mouthy, 20ish african-american girl was raising hell in the waiting room because she was having to wait so long to be seen….just like the rest of the people waiting for what seemed like forever. This chick’s insurance coverage was the government provided “free” coverage (my friend was in the booth next to her while checking in & providing personal info to the hospital….that’s how I know that). The young lady was in the ER because she’d gotten into a fight and thought she might need stitches in her head wound.
I’m not a racist by no means…..it just pisses me off that a person like that was receiving free medical care, because she was in a damn fight, while the rest of us with unexpected, not brought upon ourselves, medical issues are paying through the nose for medical care.